Cigar-piercing device.



R. G. HOLMES. CIGAR PIBROING DEVICE.

APPLICATION IILBD DBO.19,1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

it wanton RUSH G. HOLMES, OF NORTH BEND, OREGON.

orenn-rinnome DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. *7, 1909.

Application filed December 19', 1908. Serial No. 468,350.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSH O. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Bend, in the county of Coos and State of Oregon, haveinvented a new and useful Cigar-Piercing'Device, of which the followingis a specification.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a machine ofsimple construction for piercing cigars from the butt inward for thepurpose of permitting a free draft through the length of the cigar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cup that willaccommodate cigars of varying sizes without damage or breaking.

VVith'these and other objects, in View, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of constructionand arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of acigar piercing machine constructed in accordance with the invention.Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the piercing knife detached. Fig.3 is a detailed perspective view of the upper guiding ring for the cigarbut-t. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4.t of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of references are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

The device ismounted on a suitable base- 10 which may be formed-of wood,papier mach, or other suitable material and ornamented in any desiredmanner. In the bottom of the base are arranged a number of resilientfoot plugs 11 in order that the device may be placed on a polishedsurface without damaging the latter. Extending through the base is avertical opening arranged for the reception of a vertically disposedtube 12 the bottom of which is riveted or otherwise secured in place.The upper end of the tube is closed by a disk 13 having an enlargedcentral opening 14. Slidable upon the tube 12 is a second tube 15, atthe upper end of which is secured a disk 16.and between the two disks 13and 16 is a compression spring 17 that tends to keep the tube the readypassage of the outer tube 15 and at the base of this tube are outwardlyextending lugs 18 that fit within suitable guiding grooves formed in thewall of the opening.

Secured at the top of the base is a small ring 20 that is provided withnotches through which the lugs 18 may pass when the tube 15 iscircumferentially adjusted for the purpose. Normally the notches of thering are out of alinement with the lug-receiving grooves of the base sothat the rings are used as a stop to check the upward movement of thetube.

The piercing knife 21 is in the form of a long, thin stiletto-like bladethat is provided at the bottom with a threaded shank 22 that fits withina similarly threaded opening formed in a disk 24 that is secured to thedisk 13. The disk 24 has openings for the passage of securing screws 25that pass through radially disposed slots formed in the disk 13 so thatthe lower disk 24 may be adjusted in a diametral line for the purpose ofholding the knife in the longitudinal axis of the tubes 12 and 15.

To the top of the upper tube 16 is secured a small'frusto-conical cup 28that receives the butt end of the cigar and serves to hold the same fromsplitting and prevents breakage of the wrapper during the entrance ofthe piercing knife. As this receiving cup tapers, it will firmly holdthe butts of cigars of various shapes and sizes.

Secured to the upper ring or disk 16 is a semi-cylindrical guide 29which co-acts with a similar guide member 30 that is connected to thedisk 16 by a hinge 31 and the member 30 is normally held up in positionparallel with the member 29 by means of a small leaf spring 32 whichwill yield after the guiding device receives a cigar of large diameter.

In operation, the cigar is introduced between the two members 29 and 30of the guide and is thrust downward until its butt end is firmly fittedin the cup 28. As the downward pressure is continued, the cigar, itsguiding devices and the tube 15 will all be forced to descend againstthe stress of the spring 17 and the cigar will be pierced in sure isrelieved the spring 17 will act to restore the parts to normal position.During the cigar piercing operation the cigar is held in alinement withthe knife and lateral play is prevented by the guiding members 29 and 30and the cup 28.

I claim 2- 1. In a cigar piercing machine, a base having a centralopening, the wall of which is provided with vertical slots, a tubesecured within the opening and extending above the top of the base, aperforated disk secured to "i the upper end of the tube, a cigarpiercing knife extending through the opening in the disk, aknife-carrying disk adjustable diametrically of the tube, means forsecuring the knife-carrying disk in position, an upper tube arranged totelescope over the lower tube, and provided at its lower end withregularly disposed lugs entering the guiding slots, a notched ringsecured to the top of the base and limiting upward movement of the uppertube, a compression spring between the two tubes, a two-part cigar guidecarried by the upper tube and arranged to engage the body of the cigarand a cigar butt receiving cup at the base of said guide.

2. In a cigar-piercing device, a base, a tube secured within the baseand extending above the top thereof, a cigar-piercing member secured atthe upper end of the tube, a tube telescoping over the first-mentionedtube, a spring within the last mentioned tube, normally holding the sameelevated, and a cigarguide mounted upon the last mentioned tube, andcomprising a fixed sleeve portion, a hinged sleeve portion arranged injuxtaposition with respect to the fixed sleeve portion, and a springbearing against the hinged sleeve portion whereby to hold the same inthe direction of the fixed sleeve portion.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RUSH C. HOLMES.

Witnesses A. E. SHUSTER, J. W. GROUT.

